NameCensus.

UK surname

Danforth

From an English place name meaning "ford near a hill" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Danforth surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 140, ranked #24,865, up from #28,011 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Danforth is 147 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 250.0%.

1881 census count

40

Ranked #28,011

Modern count

140

2016, ranked #24,865

Peak year

2014

147 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Danforth had 40 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,011 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016, ranked #24,865.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 73 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Danforth surname distribution map

The map shows where the Danforth surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Danforth surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Danforth over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 18 #30,094
1861 historical 60 #26,313
1881 historical 40 #28,011
1891 historical 53 #29,946
1901 historical 67 #26,703
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 108 #25,788
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 110 #26,315
2000 modern 121 #24,824
2001 modern 111 #25,767
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 117 #25,282
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 112 #26,415
2007 modern 114 #26,491
2008 modern 120 #25,922
2009 modern 126 #25,686
2010 modern 127 #26,176
2011 modern 129 #25,673
2012 modern 134 #25,059
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 147 #24,177
2015 modern 140 #24,836
2016 modern 140 #24,865

Geography

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Where Danforths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley and East Riding of Yorkshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 019 Barnsley
2 Barnsley 014 Barnsley
3 Barnsley 005 Barnsley
4 Barnsley 010 Barnsley
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 020 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Danforth

These lists show first names that appear often with the Danforth surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Danforth

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Danforth, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Danforth surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Danforth household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Danforth is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Danforth is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Danforth falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Danforth is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Danforth, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Danforth

The surname Danforth originated in England, and its roots can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the 5th to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "denu" meaning valley and "ford" meaning a shallow place where a river or stream can be crossed. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a valley or a shallow river crossing.

The earliest known record of the name Danforth appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a person named Danforth residing in Oxfordshire.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "de Deneford" and "de Daneford" in various medieval records and manuscripts. This spelling variation likely reflects the name's connection to specific place names such as Denford or Danford, which were small villages or settlements located near valleys or fords.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Danforth was John Danforth, who was born in Cambridgeshire, England, in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Danforth (1622-1699), a colonial leader and landowner in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence in New England, particularly in Massachusetts, where several members of the Danforth family played influential roles in colonial society. One such figure was Samuel Danforth (1626-1674), a Puritan minister and author who served as the deputy governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Another notable individual was Thomas Danforth (1622-1699), who served as the president of the Province of Maine and the deputy governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was also a prominent landowner and one of the founders of Harvard College.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be associated with prominent figures, including Jonathan Danforth (1712-1777), a lawyer and judge in Massachusetts, and Thomas Danforth (1759-1835), a Revolutionary War soldier and a member of the Massachusetts General Court.

Throughout history, the surname Danforth has been closely tied to its English origins and has been carried by individuals who played significant roles in various fields, ranging from colonial leadership to religion and law.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Danforth families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Danforth surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 20 Danforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.17x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 20 5.17x
Lincolnshire 14 22.45x
Middlesex 5 1.28x
Lancashire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire leads with 14 Danforths recorded in 1881 and an index of 353.54x.

Place Total Index
Great Grimsby 14 353.54x
Hoyland Nether 10 1052.63x
Hackney London 5 22.86x
Brinsworth 4 2222.22x
Ecclesfield 3 106.01x
Dodworth 2 500.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 13.61x
Sheffield 1 8.13x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Danforth surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Emily 2
Frances 2
Phoebe 2
Agnes 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Ethel 1
Isabel 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Lizzie 1
Maria 1
Violet 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Danforth surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 2
Harry 2
A. 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
J. 1
John 1
Joshua 1
Richard 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Danforth households.

FAQ

Danforth surname: questions and answers

How common was the Danforth surname in 1881?

In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Danforth surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Danforth surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 140 in 2016. That gives Danforth a modern rank of #24,865.

What does the Danforth surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "ford near a hill" in Old English.

What does the Danforth map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Danforth bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.